Ross-shire man slammed over 'appalling offences' after head-butt assault on neighbour in Alness
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A dispute over tobacco shared between two neighbours resulted in one of them being punched in the face and head-butted.
Daniel Kay, who is currently living in temporary homeless accommodation in Inverness's Telford Street before moving to Tain, admitted assaulting Stewart McIntosh in a property in Coul Park, Alness on September 17, 2020.
Mr McIntosh was left bleeding and called the police who were unable to trace Kay until later that evening.
But Inverness Sheriff Court was told that when officers arrested the 23-year old, he coughed in their faces. He admitted assaulting the officers.
Defence solicitor Marc Dickson told Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald: "There was a disagreement over tobacco. He felt he was short-changed and he behaved in this immature and regrettable way."
Ordering Kay to carry out 270 hours of unpaid work and remain under two years of social work supervision, Sheriff Macdonald said they were "appalling offences, especially the coughing incident to put people through this during Covid.
"You have to work on behaving in a better way," the Sheriff, who also instructed Kay to take part in an Offender's Awareness programme, added.
However she warned him that he could face jail if he breached any aspect of her order.
